Bucks-Hawks matchups

By Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel

Published on: 4/16/2010

SMALL FORWARD

Marvin Williams (Hawks) vs. Carlos Delfino (Bucks)

The 6-foot-9 Williams was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2005 draft, taken immediately after the Bucks chose Andrew Bogut at No. 1. He has been deemed an underachiever by some experts but quietly has developed into an effective player, averaging 10.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in 81 games this season. Williams had 18 points in 36 minutes in the Hawks' 104-96 victory over the Bucks on Monday night. The 6-6 Delfino has been a revelation in his first year with the Bucks, playing tough defense against opposing forwards and showing the ability to rebound. When Delfino is hitting his three-point shots, he becomes a matchup problem, and that ability will be vital in this series with Bogut out of the Bucks lineup due to injury.

Advantage: Even

POWER FORWARD

Josh Smith (Hawks) vs. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (Bucks)

Smith was "jumping all over the place" when the teams met Monday at the Bradley Center, according to Bucks guard John Salmons. At 6-9, Smith makes some spectacular dunks and blocks - witness his game-winning tip dunk in the final second to beat Orlando in a recent game. Smith was the only player in the league to average at least 15 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists, and the 24-year-old became the youngest player to reach 1,000 career blocks when he hit the milestone Feb. 2. He also is a strong defender, and the Hawks don't hesitate to switch screens and let him harass point guards, as he will do against Brandon Jennings in this series. Mbah a Moute is one of the league's elite defenders, even though he doesn't get as much credit as better-known players such as Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest. The second-year player from Cameroon benefited from the switch to power forward and averaged 5.5 rebounds, third on the team behind Bogut and Ersan Ilyasova. Mbah a Moute scores most of his points around the basket and has yet to hit the medium-range shot with any consistency.

Advantage: Hawks

CENTER

Al Horford (Hawks) vs. Kurt Thomas (Bucks)

Horford was named an Eastern Conference all-star in his third season and nearly averaged a double-double (14.2 points, 9.9 rebounds) while playing in 81 games. The 6-10 former Florida star had played in every game this season before sitting out the Hawks' season finale against Cleveland on Wednesday. He led the Hawks with 39 double-doubles, including 13 in his last 16 games. With Bogut out following surgery on his right hand, the Bucks' starting center duties have been handed to the 37-year-old Thomas. A solid defender and rebounder, the 6-9 Thomas has a good medium-range jumper that he can use in pick-and-pop situations. Bucks coach Scott Skiles said the team is fortunate to have the 15-year veteran available for tough duty in Bogut's absence.

Advantage: Hawks

SHOOTING GUARD

Joe Johnson (Hawks) vs. John Salmons (Bucks)

Johnson is lanky at 6-7 and can shoot over most defenders, and he is deadly in clutch situations. The Bucks learned that first-hand in a 106-102 overtime loss in Atlanta during the season as Johnson scored nine of his 24 points in the extra period. "Yeah, he's tough," Salmons said. "He hit some tough shots in overtime." Johnson led the Hawks in scoring at 21.3 points per game and added 4.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds while averaging 38 minutes. He became the first Hawks player to start an All-Star Game since Dikembe Mutombo in 1997-'98. Salmons' arrival at the trade deadline helped the Bucks become one of the hottest teams in the league over the last two months of the season. Milwaukee went 22-8 with the 6-6 guard in the lineup, and he proved capable of getting to the basket and hitting huge shots late in games. In 30 games with the Bucks, he averaged 19.9 points, 3.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds. This will be the marquee matchup of the series, although Mbah a Moute might take a turn defending Johnson late in games.

Advantage: Hawks

POINT GUARD

Mike Bibby (Hawks) vs. Brandon Jennings (Bucks)

Bibby is a three-point threat and a savvy veteran playing in his 12th season. So it's likely he will have some tricks to use against Jennings in this series. His numbers aren't spectacular (9.1 points, 3.9 assists), but he is effective at running the team and is not turnover-prone. Jennings has been aiming for the playoffs all season and it will be interesting to see how he fares in his first series. The Bucks rookie can create havoc with his quick hands on defense, and his three-point accuracy (and overall field goal percentage) will be critical. He took a team-leading 388 three-pointers during the season and sank 145 for a respectable mark of 37.4%. Jennings averaged 15.5 points and 5.7 assists while starting all 82 games at age 20, and he helped transform the Bucks into a more potent team.

Crawford is the favorite for the NBA's sixth man award and can go on a scoring streak at any time. The 6-5 guard led the league in scoring (18.0 points) among players who did not start a game. The 6-11, 275-pound Pachulia, who spent one season with the Bucks, has developed into a solid reserve. He had 10 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 23 minutes against the Bucks on Monday. Teague provides valuable backup minutes at point guard and Evans offers a three-point threat. Milwaukee counters with a productive bench led by the trio of Ridnour, Ilyasova and Stackhouse. Ridnour played in all 82 games and averaged 10.4 points and 4.0 assists while shooting almost 48%. Ilyasova averaged 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in 81 games after returning to Milwaukee, following two years with FC Regal Barcelona in Spain. The Turkish player is relentless in battling for rebounds and makes plenty of hustle plays. Stackhouse (8.5-point average in 42 games) has made a major impact since being signed in mid-January, when the Bucks offered him a contract for the rest of the season.

Advantage: Hawks

COACHING

Mike Woodson (Hawks) vs. Scott Skiles (Bucks)

Woodson, who learned under Larry Brown, has calmly built a powerful team in Atlanta and one that has aspirations of reaching the conference finals or beyond. The Hawks finished with 53 victories, the franchise's best total since the 1996-'97 season, and they ended the regular season with a 12-game home winning streak. The coaching matchup features a pair of Indiana natives - Woodson is from Indianapolis and played at Indiana University, while Skiles hails from Plymouth. Skiles is a strong candidate for the NBA coach of the year award after leading the Bucks to a 12-game improvement over the previous season and the franchise's first winning record since 2002-'03. Skiles, in his second year in Milwaukee, has been instrumental in the development of Bogut and Jennings and instilling a defensive mentality in his players.

Advantage: Bucks

INTANGIBLES

The Hawks are riding a wave of confidence into the playoffs and believe they can handle the Bucks and challenge Orlando in a possible conference semifinal matchup. The loss of Bogut to a season-ending injury on April 3 was a severe blow to the Bucks, who have relied on his leadership all season and will miss his defensive presence, low-post scoring and shot-blocking ability. The Bucks will need a sensational playoff performance from three or four players to have a chance to stay with the extremely well-balanced Hawks lineup.